The historian who helped assemble much of the collection choked up while describing thousands of books buried under broken AV equipment. Of the more than 10,000 materials, less than 1,000 books and a dozen video cassettes were recovered.

All of this brings me back to one of the poised panel discussions: should we, as a society, should trust African- American women to make decisions in regards to their own sexual health and family planning? My question is: why do I need your permission?

We wanted to create a space for talking about race and we think having a discussion about these issues is absolutely necessary – but surely we will leave something out. So please, share your stories with us!